In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘SNOW PEARL’. The present variety was hybridized by me in 1996, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley).
The variety was developed as a first generation cross using ‘Ruby Diamond’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,918) nectarine as the selected seed parent and ‘Regal Pearl’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,695) nectarine as the selected pollen parent. A single tree from the stated cross was selected as the claimed variety. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, ‘Ruby Diamond’ nectarine, by producing fruit that is nearly globose in shape, and full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom by producing nectarines that are sub-acidic instead of acidic in flavor, that are white instead of yellow in flesh color, that are clingstone instead of freestone, and that mature about seven weeks later.
The present variety is most similar to its selected pollen parent, ‘Regal Pearl’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,695) nectarine, by producing nectarines that are nearly globose in shape, firm in texture, sub-acidic in flavor, and white in flesh color, but is distinguished therefrom by having a lower chilling requirement, by having globose instead of reniform leaf glands, by having a sweet instead of bitter kernel, and by producing nectarines that have much less skin freckling, that are somewhat larger in size, and that mature about one week later.